5 Questions with artist/entrepreneur Danielle Lanslots

Danielle Lanslots has a master's in biomedical sciences from Regis University and she pieced together her livelihood working as, among a number of jobs, a birth doula until she found art last year.

Lanslots said she was exploring Instagram to seek inspiration to do art as a pathway to self-healing to overcome depression and anxiety. Though not a trained artist, she found her "inner voice" manifest in a medley of watercolors on a variety of mediums, including wood slices. She began posting pictures of her work on Instagram to share it with others. And, soon she was overwhelmed with queries from users on the photo and video-sharing social networking site about where to buy her work. "I saw other artists were selling their work." She opened a Paypal account and got into business. She has about 30,000 followers globally, including in places such as India and Turkey.

"Art is becoming more lucrative" said Lanslots, who has garnered many art shows locally and managed to sell her art at local fairs.

She said she didn't have a business plan when she got into selling art online, but gradually she learned a few strategies through "trial and error." She set up a website few months ago, and recently got a business license from the city of Boulder.

Lanslots recently talked with the Daily Camera to share her entrepreneurial success.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

1. Young artists often find it difficult to have a sustained source of income, but you've managed to defy the odds. Any thoughts?

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A large part of my success is luck. I was looking to art for therapy, and it became a channel for making money. But I must add that I came up with a style that many consider to be unique, and I found the right audience for my work. I do landscapes that offer a lot of details. Nature is easy to relate to for most people. My art has often been described as moody, calming, meditative and ethereal.

I like to talk about the creative process a lot. It's about finding your voice and what makes you happy, and sharing that with humility. I have a little room in my house that I use as a studio. I also occasionally like to paint in different cafes around town.

There's a way to make money that doesn't require us to work for the whole of our lives. Technology has afforded me the opportunity get out of the rut of the typical 9-to-5 jobs.

2. Can you explain the role of technology in making you an entrepreneur?

This whole digital social media universe has given me a flexibility to do the things I like to do in my time and allowed me share them when I want with people who seem to care about it, while allowing me to make money doing it at the same time. I rely on my iPhone to take pictures of my work and post it on Instagram for sale.

I like to work on about 10 pieces at the same time, and I do an Instagram post every day. During shows or fairs, I make two or three posts a day to let my followers know what I'm doing. Your followers want a consistent connection. Technology has made me aware that quality of images and timing of posting new stuff is very important. I like Instagram, because it's not limited to family and friends. Most of my sales have come through Instagram. I've barely sold two pieces on Facebook. Social media has allowed me to get an income that I couldn't imagine before.

Technology tells me my core followers are in the age group of 24 to 34, followed by those in the age group of 18 to 24, and that 80 percent of my followers are women.

I can experiment with new offerings, and technology helps me get an immediate feed back whether the idea is working or not. You need to be proactive in your approach.

I have a rule of thumb. I use $2 per square inch for original pieces. Digital prints are priced differently, but they generally range from $10 to $20. I also sell painted pendants, stickers, etc. One of my commissioned pieces sold for $1,300.

4. What did your family expect you to do when you were growing up?

My parents are Dutch. I came to the U.S. at the age of 10. They, like most parents, wanted me to study hard and get into a career path. We all thought an artist is one who gets his or her works shown in a gallery, and to reach that level wasn't easy.

I grew up in Stamford, Conn. I always was a creative person. I even considered going to art school for college after taking an Advanced Placement studio art class in high school.

But I ended up getting an undergraduate degree in environmental sciences from the University of Connecticut. I came to Boulder in 2013 to study psychotherapy at Naropa University. But I quit after a year, and later joined a master's program in Denver.

None of my parents were artists, but some of my grandparents did art. It perhaps came out when I looked at art to help me personally.

I love Boulder. It has helped me grow. It's where I found my life partner.

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